


Tale of the Flower Khanum

by Child_of_Fay



Category: Mulan (1998), Mulan II (2004) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Friendships, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Forced Marriage, Original Character(s), Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-10-30 13:30:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17829470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Child_of_Fay/pseuds/Child_of_Fay
Summary: When trying to save the Emperor Mulan never thought Shan Yu would be victorious. Nor that in the newly formed truce between the Chinese and the Huns, she would be required to bring honor to all China by becoming the bride of Shan Yu himself.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to several Tumblr users who voiced their excitement and support for this idea when I mentioned this story on my blog. Without which, I don't think I would have been brave enough to write this story. 
> 
> Also, thank you so much to Meiran for being my beta reader. 
> 
> Note: Rating and tags are likely to evolve as this story continues.

What was meant to be a night of celebrating rapidly turned to one of fear and terror. The people gathered in the courtyard in front of the Imperial Palace had come to witness the exaltation of the brave soldiers who had defeated the entire Hun army, only to discover in a matter of moments that the fate of China hung in the balance right before their very eyes.  
  
High above them, they all watched as their Emperor was held captive by the Hun Chieftain known as Shan Yu. His voice projected across the plaza below, "Your walls and armies have fallen, and now it's your turn. Bow to me."  
  
The Emperor remained absolutely still unfazed by the threat from the Hun. Shan Yu did not let this affect him, instead, he attempted to persuade him.  
  
"All this time while you've hidden behind your walls my people have struggled. Struggled in during unforgiving winters, fearing the wolves stalking in the night. Their herds dwindle, they grow sick with hunger. All the while your people hide behind your walls thriving! I remember before you build your wall, your people and mine traded peacefully in border towns, some of your people joined mine on the Steppe and some of mine joined yours in your towns. At that time both Han and Hun were fat and happy."  
  
The Hun paused and shrugged dismissively, “I will not deny in the past we raided your villages for goods we needed, but I've decreed that time is done, we would rather live in peace. Yet, I wondered if such a thing were possible after all you Han believe we are beneath you."  
  
Shan Yu extended his arms, his curved blade glinting in the light of the celebratory lanterns nearby. "And yet, here we stand, I've played your game, beaten your walls and your armies. I've won!" Shan Yu roared with triumph.  
  
The Emperor remained unmovable as if the Hun chieftain hadn't spoken at all.  
  
Raged flashed in Shan Yu's eyes, "I tire of your arrogance old man. Bow to me!" Shan Yu threatened pointing his sword at the Emperor's throat.  
  
As the Emperor finally spoke, his voice carried to his subjects below it is somehow calm and serene. "No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it."  
  
Shan Yu's voice rang across the plaza and it caused a horrified gasp from the crowd. "Then you shall kneel in pieces!" The Hun's Moro Kris blade glinted dangerously as it was raised and swung down to deliver a fatal blow.  
  
The clang of the two swords connecting echoed through the plaza to the cheers and gasps of the crowd as Captain Li Shang blocked Shan Yu's blade with his own. Using the Hun's surprise to his advantage, Shang rolled and kicked Shan Yu against a pillar. With that, he thrust his blade at the Hun.  
  
However, Shan Yu caught Shang's wrist causing him to drop his blade as Shan Yu yanked him forward swinging him off the tower.  
  
Shang grabbed the pillar in the last second, swinging himself around to kick Shan Yu in the face to the floor. He dove atop the Hun delivering a punch to his face.  
  
Grabbing Shang's shoulder Shan Yu rolled pinning Shang underneath his huge form.  
  
Yet, with a minor struggle Shang managed to get an arm free, and punched madly at Shan Yu's face until a punch landed on the Hun's jaw forcing his head upward allowing Shang to flip them so he is on top pulling Shan Yu's arm painfully behind his back and pinning him to the ground.  
  
Unbeknownst to the crowd below, women dressed like ladies of the Imperial Court and another in common clothes burst into the room, One rushed to the Emperor's side. The Emperor raised a hand stopping the large woman, who revealed himself not to be a woman at all, from touching him as he watched the Captain fight to save him.  
  
In the next moment, Shan Yu forced Shang off him and headbutted him, knocking him out and throwing him across the room. He reclaimed his blade from where it had fallen. He quickly knocked out one short solder masquerading as a woman in a red dress and another slim one in yellow, who rushed at him.  
  
The last woman, the only one appearing to be actually female, in fact, rushed to Shang's side.  
  
The Hun Chieftain turned menacingly toward them as Shang regained consciousness and pushed the girl away ready to fight again. Yet without his sword, Shang has only a small dagger he pulled from his belt.  
  
"You!" Shan Yu knocked the dagger away like a toy, punched Shang and picked him up by the throat. "You took away my victory!" The Hun cried raising his sword to kill the captain.  
  
It was at that moment a small shoe hit Shan Yu in the back of the head.  
  
"No!"  
  
All eyes turned to the girl that Shang had pushed behind him as she proclaimed, "I did," pulling her hair up into a bun with her hands holding it there until realization dawned on the Hun's face.  
  
"The soldier from the mountains."  
  
Shan Yu dropped the Captain and advanced on the girl, who fear in her eyes, tried desperately to get her shoe back on as the Hun warlord stalked closer.  
  
Once her shoe was on the girl turned to run from the room.  
  
"Enough!" The Emperor's command rang through the room and everyone's gaze, including Shan Yu's, went to the elderly man standing next to his femininely dressed bodyguard in blue. "Shan Yu Khan, hear me now. When you invaded I would not have my armies protect the Imperial City, instead, I sent them to protect my people, and I will not have more of my people die for my own life. I will hear your terms so that your people and mine may at last live in peace." With that, the Emperor bowed at the waist to the Hun leader.  
  
With a gasp, Shan Yu watched as Shang, behind him, and the soldier in woman's clothes bowed and then lowered themselves to the ground in a kowtow. He looked to see the girl doing the same, but he caught the glare of defiance as she lowered herself to the floor her shoulder-length hair fanning out around her face.  
  
A gleam of triumph shone in Shan Yu's eyes as he smirked at "Very well, let us discuss terms. Gather your Council, and I shall gather mine." He agreed, sheathing his sword into its shoulder strap as his men stumbled into the room.  
  
The Hun leader had no idea why Bai and his twin, Bao, were covered in the pink juice and flesh and rind of watermelons, or why when his trusted spirit guide, his falcon, Sahin flew to his forearm there was the strong smell of singed and burnt feathers about the bird. It is something he intended to question them all about, but for now, there were more pressing things at hand.  
  
The room around the Huns quickly became a flurry of activity as a number of servants, eunuchs in blue-grey robes and red hats with black trim, swarm into the room and filling with talk in a hum like bees. Shan Yu watched with feigned boredom at all the activity, as a eunuch whispered with the Emperor, before that eunuch spoke to the others, apparently giving orders.  
  
Moments later he watched as eunuch trembled as he came over to him and his men and bowed, "My Lords, please follow me, a feast is being prepared for you in one of the Imperial Dining Rooms. After you have eaten and rested His Majesty will be prepared to meet with you will the Royal Council." Even the man's voice trembled as he spoke.  
  
Shan Yu glowered down at the tiny man, then turned to his men and nodded at them to follow the man. Before the Hun leader left the room he glanced back at the Emperor still after everything that had happened. Then his gaze strayed to the group of cross-dressing soldiers, Captain Li, and the girl from the mountain, standing out like a lily among weeds, and as he watched her talk with her comrades a plan started to form in his mind. A plan that would change both their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to Meiran for being my beta reader. Also, thank you to those who left reviews and kudos, both were such an encouragement as I wrote this next chapter. 
> 
> Note: Rating and tags are likely to evolve as this story continues.

A tense silence seemed to hang over the balcony until Shan Yu finally followed his men out of the room. Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po let out sighs of relief when the last of the Huns vanished from sight.

"Hey, we're still alive!" Ling cheered smiling at the others, the skin of his jaw turning a deep purple from where Shan Yu had struck him, but even their minor bumps and bruises from the fights couldn’t suppress their relief as the whole group burst into laughter at their luck.

Yet, moments later, Mulan’s laughter became a cough and a whence, her hand rushing to her wounded side.

“Are you okay?” Shang’s voice was soft with concern as he put a hand on Mulan’s shoulder.

“Yeah, Yeah, uh,” Mulan cleared her throat trying to shake off the pain. “I guess it’s too soon to be partying too hard.” She offered Shang a weak smile.  

“Well, well, I should have known you were involved with a stunt like this.” Chi-Fu’s voice behind them made them all jump and Shang’s hand to spring from Mulan’s shoulder at the man’s appearance. The Counselman smirked at them. “Captain and…”

He looked Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po up and down, the three men still in their concubine disguises, with obvious disdain, “…gentlemen. His Imperial Highness has requested your presence at the meeting between the Han and Hun Councils.” His smile was stiff, “However, you shouldn’t go looking like…I would say palace ladies, but that would be an insult to the women of the palace. As such, refreshments and clothing have been arranged for you. If you would follow me.”

Mulan started to follow Shang, but Chi-Fu raised his hand and only spared her a sideways glance.

“This is men’s business, and you would be wise to stay out of it. The Royal Council does not need a woman’s meddling, no matter how above her proper place she has tried to go.” With that Chi-Fu walked away, “Come, gentlemen, the Emperor is waiting.”

Yao muttering threats under his breath before moving to follow Chi-Fu behind Ling and Chien-Po who turned back to give her sad smiles, which she returned with a weak wave. Her shoulders slumped at the unfairness of it all, nevertheless, she didn’t have long to dwell on being left out of the royal council, after everything she’d done to save the Emperor.

“Excuse me, Fa Mulan?”  A small mousy voice spoke from her side. Mulan turned to find a girl, younger than Mulan.

Mulan had heard of the palace maids, selected from high ranking families at thirteen to serve for at least a dozen years before they could even leave the palace or contact their loved ones. Their lives sole purpose to attend to the daily needs of the empress, imperial consorts and concubines. Mulan felt sorry for them, she hoped she never had to be separated from her family like that, she missed them dearly even after these few months apart.

“Yes?” Mulan said smiling warmly at the girl.

Dark doe-eyes flashed briefly to her face, then quickly lowered as she gave a respectful bow. “I’m to escort you to the imperial female quarters. An extra room has been prepared for you. So, you can … relax and recover from your ordeal, it must have been terribly awful to be in the army with all those men—I mean, right this way…um, please.” The girl quickly bowed again, then twice more out of embarrassment before hurrying from the room without looking to see if Mulan followed her or not.

Mulan couldn’t help grinning as she hurried to catch up with the maid, she’d only been in the palace for less than an hour and already the news of her masquerading as a soldier had reached even the women’s quarters.

 

☯·.·☯·.·☯

 

Mulan let out a satisfied sigh as she leaned against the bathtub, the water full of healing herbs and others that filled the room with a sweet aroma, Mulan felt clean for the first time since leaving home. Her belly full of rich food; a whole roast duck, thick duck soup with yams, steamed lotus root with rice, steamed buns stuffed with pork, spiced chicken, sweet shaped cakes and filled spiral buns; way too much food for her eat, but it was all a welcome change from the simple congee fed to the soldiers.

She’d finally wheedled out of the girl that her name was Hua Ru Shi and that she came from a rich and was in her third year of service in the palace training to be a lady in waiting for one of the Princesses of the Third Rank. Ru Shi had been horrified at the sight of the crude dressing done by the armies’ medic, but she still begged for all the gory details of the battle. Mulan ended up telling both a gaggle of Imperial Physicians, who didn’t seem at all interested in the tale and spent their time first criticizing the state of her injury then applying fresh herbs and redressing her wound, and Ru Shi, however, who listened with wide eyes to everything, how Mulan had taken the last cannon and fired it mere feet from Shan Yu himself and brought an avalanche down on the Hun army, at the cost of the wound in her belly, and how it had almost cost her, her life at Shang’s hand. It felt strange to Mulan to realize all of it had happened only yesterday.

The Imperial Physicians had chatted on about how she was lucky she hadn’t been disemboweled on the spot, but the tight silk of her armor had borne the brunt of Shan Yu’s blade. One horrid tonic later and the physicians left her alone in the bath to wash and soak. Mulan almost drifted off to sleep in the warm bath, but the crack and bang of fireworks roused her from her doze. She was honestly surprised that the festivities had been revived after the Hun’s attack, she wasn’t sure this peace treaty was something to celebrate. She had to wonder what it would cost China to keep it.

Once her fingers were pruney and all the stress of the last two days had been relaxed away Mulan left the bath humming an old children’s tune as she dried herself off. Her humming was drowned out by a sudden sharp cry, the harsh beating of wings, as something let out a pained yelp as it was thrown through the open window and skittered across the floor, there was another flutter of feathers and something tiny let out a few distressed chirps.

Startled, Mulan wrapped a towel around herself, she looked up to find Shan Yu’s falcon perched on the windowsill. A shiver ran down her spine as the bird’s piercing gaze met hers. The bird seemed more intelligent than it should be. Something unearthly shimmered in that gaze, Mulan pulled the towel tighter around her body like a shield. Although the bird couldn’t speak, Mulan could sense its loathing and hate, and it was all focused on her.

They regarded each other for a few moments, heartbeats Mulan could clearly count, as the sound filled her ears. The falcon seemed to take a measure of her, and it found her lacking. Mulan felt like instead of a bird, Shan Yu himself was looking at her. She lowered her gaze she’d felt this same kind of disapproval the day she’d met the Matchmaker, and what a catastrophe that had been. That day felt like a lifetime ago, but the hurt was still fresh. The falcon ruffled its feathers, then with one last dagger-like glare at Mulan the bird let out a scream and flew off into the night, its silhouette stark black against the blues, yellows, and reds of the fireworks.

“That’s right, you better run!” The red shape on the floor roused, revealing itself to be a rather deflated looking Mushu. He was worse for wear, bruised and better yet, his tongue, at least, still had some fight left in it. The tiny dragon shook his fist at the retreating form of the falcon, “Vial turkey! Next time I see you I’ll roast you on a spit, turn you into buffalo wings!”

“Mushu?!” Mulan exclaimed, “What happened to you?”

“Oh, nothing you need to worry about baby girl.” He said with a sigh. The dragon looked around them. “Ooo they gave you one of the five-star rooms, and from the looks of it the room service is top notch.” He made his way over to the table, followed as ever by a small cricket, and stuffed a warm dumpling into his mouth.

Mulan went behind the dressing screen and listened to the banter between Mushu and Cri-kee. She heard the cricket’s chirps become agitated, “Besides they’ll be back on the Steppes with all their plunder in no time. Look, it’s a guardian thing, I don’t need to worry her about it.”

“Worry me about what?” She asked as she emerged a few minutes later wearing a simple blue silk hanfu, with white flowers embroidered on the chest and sleeves, yet of a quality that Mulan would have only dared wear it on special occasions, but it was the outfit Ru Shi had left for her and she’d taken Mulan’s own clothes with her when she had left her to her bath.

Mushu grimaced as if he’d forgotten she was in the room, “It's just that bird. When you were storming the castle, I stopped her from warning the big scary Huns about your ruse. I burnt her feathers clean off she was as bare as a Christmas goose, but she just regrew her feathers like all I’d done was blow bubbles at her. Then we’d started duking it out. Can’t blame you for not noticing you’ve been busy savin’ China and all.”

Cri-kee let out a series of annoyed chirps.

“Alright, alright, keep your exoskeleton on. Look I’d be more worried if the Huns weren’t leaving soon, but I thought I’d eavesdrop on that Peace Council they’re having.”

“You did? What did you find out?”

“Well other than the Huns odd obsession with flour, tea, rice and camels, the Emperor Council, well that Chi-Fu guy, loudly offered Mr. Big and Scary a bride in some a big grand gesture of alliance.”

“A heqin marriage, but they haven’t wanted one of those in years. I feel sorry for the princess they decide to offer him. I can’t imagine any Hun would be a loving or kind husband.” Mulan admitted.

Mushu nodded, “Thankfully His Scariness didn’t seem too interested in the idea.”

“That’s good, I guess we can handle giving them rice and camels instead.”

“China shouldn’t have to gi—gah!”

The door to the room burst open and Ru Shi rushed in her pink hanfu billowing around her ankles and her long braided ponytails bouncing behind her. Mulan glanced at where Mushu and Cri-kee had been only to find the bowl of dim sum Mushu had been eating upside down and still shaking from the speed at which the dragon let go of it. A moment later she felt Mushu scurry up the back of her hanfu and when she reached down to pick up the bowel Mushu hurried into the billowy sleeves.

“I’m sorry Fa Mulan. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Ru Shi thankfully didn’t notice Mushu or Cri-kee due to her multiple apologetic bows.

“It’s all right, no harm was done, just some spilled dim sum, right?” Mulan replied, calming down once she felt Mushu coil his body around her arm and she knew he was safe out of sight.

“I—um yes.” Ru Shi had finally stopped bowing. “You’ve been summoned to appear before the Emperor. The Peace Council has just concluded.”

“The Emperor wants to see me, but why?”

Ru Shi smiled, “I’m just a junior lady’s maid I don’t get told everything, you know.”

“I guess that’s true.” Mulan chuckled, she used the laughter to steal herself for her audience with the Emperor. She couldn’t help feeling it would change her life again just like the Emperor’s proclamation had a few months ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, Lovelies, 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'd love to hear what you thought of it. Also, if you have any ideas for this story or things you'd like to see please let me know. 
> 
> Tootles,  
> ~ Lu
> 
> P.S. Find me on [Tumblr](http://child-of-fay.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, Lovelies, 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. I'd love to hear what you thought of it. Also, if you have any ideas for this story or things you'd like to see please let me know. 
> 
> Tootles,  
> ~ Lu


End file.
